Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), issued 14 guidelines to tackle Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC). The 14 guidelines include 10 species-specific guidelines and 4 cross-cutting problems guidelines.
- Aim: To foster a shared understanding among key stakeholders in India about what constitutes effective and efficient HWC mitigation.
The guidelines are scheduled to be reviewed every 5 years beginning in 2023.
Significance
i.The guidelines, which are of an advisory nature, will aid in the future creation of site-specific HWC mitigation actions.
ii.These guidelines were developed as part of the Indo-German cooperation project on HWC Mitigation, which is being implemented by the MoEF&CC in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the state forest departments of Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
- GIZ (English: German Corporation for International Cooperation) is a German development agency with two registered offices in Germany: Bonn and Eschborn.
The 14 Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Guidelines
i.The 10 species-specific guidelines include the Guidelines for Mitigating Human-Elephant, Human-Gaur, Human-Leopard, Human-Snake, Human-Crocodile, Human-Rhesus Macaque, Human-Wild Pig, Human-Bear, Human-Blue Bull, and Human-Blackbuck Conflict.
ii.The 4 guidelines on cross-cutting issues are as follows:
- Guidelines for Cooperation between the Forest and Media sector in India: Towards effective communication on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Context of Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
- Crowd Management in Human-Wildlife Conflict Related Situations
- Addressing Health Emergencies and Potential Health Risks Arising Out of Human—Wildlife Conflict Situations: Taking a One Health Approach
Key Points:
i.The creation and intended operation of these guidelines are prompted by a harmonious coexistence approach in order to safeguard both humans and wild animals from the adverse impacts of HWC.
ii.These guidelines are largely inspired by field experiences, as well as current guidelines and advisories issued by various agencies and state forest departments.
iii.The guidelines offer a framework for adopting a comprehensive strategy, that is, dealing with both the immediate emergency problems brought on by HWC and the factors and pressures that lead to HWC.
- It also offers guidance on creating and managing preventive methods, as well as limiting the impact of conflict on humans and wild animals.
iv.This set of guidelines will be a living document that will be updated as needed based on feedback from field practitioners and other wildlife experts.
Making of the Guidelines
i.The guidelines were developed through a participatory, inclusive, and integrated approach involving major relevant stakeholders and sectors such as agriculture, veterinary medicine, disaster management, district administration, rural development, and Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs, and the media.
ii.The Indo-German Project on HWC Mitigation hosted more than 1600 participants over 105 events, including workshops, regional and national consultations, meetings, and field missions, between August 2018 and February 2022.
iii.The states were given an intense and systematic pilot testing process to test and report on the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed guidelines recommendations.
Recent Related News:
i.In February 2023, 52 Avian Species were observed in the Asian Waterbird Census-2023, which was conducted in the union territory of Ladakh from January 17-19, 2023. The census was organized by the Himalaya project and the Department of Wildlife Protection of Ladakh in collaboration with the Ladakh Biodiversity Council, a statutory body of the MoEF&CC.
ii.Himalaya project is a joint project by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and MoEF&CC.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Union Minister – Bhupender Yadav (Rajya Sabha Rajasthan)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ashwini Kumar Choubey
